This invention relates generally to pool cleaner devices for dislodging and/or collecting debris within swimming pools and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved pool cleaner of the type designed for generally random travel along submerged floor and side wall surfaces of a swimming pool to dislodge and collect fine sediment and other particulate debris accumulated thereon. The improved pool cleaner is adapted for electric powered operation, and/or includes a directional control system for monitoring cleaner movements in a manner to prevent, e.g., excess twisting of a conduit such as a power cable to which the pool cleaner is tethered.
Automatic swimming pool cleaners are well known in the art for use in maintaining a swimming pool in an overall state of cleanliness. In this regard, residential and commercial swimming pools normally include a standard water filtration system including a main circulation pump and related main filter unit for filtering the pool water. The filtration system is typically operated for several hours on a daily basis to draw water from the pool for flow through the main filter unit and subsequent return circulation to the pool, wherein the filter unit includes an appropriate filter media for collecting and thus removing solid debris such as fine grit and silt, twigs, leaves, insects, and other particulate matter suspended within the pool water. Although such filtration systems function efficiently to collect suspended particulate, it has been recognized that some particulate tends to settle onto submerged pool floor and wall surfaces and thus is not removed by the standard filtration system. Automatic swimming pool cleaners have been developed and are widely used to assist in a more thorough cleaning of the pool by directly collecting such settled matter, and/or by re-suspending the settled matter so that it can be collected by the main filter unit.
More specifically, in one common form, the automatic swimming pool cleaner comprises a relatively compact wheeled housing adapted to travel randomly over submerged floor and wall surfaces of the pool. The cleaner is normally connected by a water supply hose or the like to the standard filtration system, such as by connection to the positive pressure discharge side of the system as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,665,900; 5,863,425; 4,558,479; 4,589,986; and 3,822,754. The filtration system provides a water flow through the supply hose to the cleaner, wherein this water flow is typically used to create or induce an upwardly directed suction flow through a suction mast for vacuuming grit and debris through the suction mast into a porous filter bag mounted on an upper or downstream end thereof. Exemplary filter bags of this general type and related techniques for removable mounting onto the pool cleaner suction mast are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,618,420; D288,373; 4,575,423; D294,963; 4,589,986; 5,863,425; 6,740,233; 6,908,550; D409,341; and D468,067; and in copending U.S. Ser. Nos. 10/911,188; 10/917,790; and 11/103,714. The water flow through the pool cleaner may also be used to power a hydraulic drive means which causes the cleaner to travel about within the swimming pool.
In alternative hydraulically powered pool cleaner designs, the pool cleaner is adapted for connection to the suction side of the filtration system, whereby water is drawn through the pool cleaner to operate a drive mechanism for transporting the cleaner within the pool while vacuuming settled debris to the filter canister of the pool filtration system. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,803,658; 4,023,227; 4,133,068; 4,208,752; 4,643,217; 4,679,867; 4,729,406; 4,761,848; 5,105,496; 5,265,297; 5,634,229; 6,094,764; and 6,112,354.
Some pool cleaners have been developed for electric-powered operation to travel over submerged surfaces of a swimming pool or the like to dislodge and/or collect settled debris. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,518,437; 4,786,334; 5,569,371; 6,299,699; 6,412,133; 6,652,742; 6,758,226; 6,815,918; 6,842,931; and 6,908,550; and U.S. Publications 2003/0159723; 2004/0168838; and 2004/0168299; and PCT Publication WO 2005/0045162. In some such designs, these electric-powered pool cleaners are tethered to a power cord which is coupled in turn to a suitable electric power source or power module at a deckside or other dry site location near the swimming pool. Other electric-powered pool cleaners envision an on-board rechargeable battery power source.
The present invention relates to improvements in automatic pool cleaner devices of the electric powered type, including, e.g., an improved traction drive system and related pressurized water management system for vacuuming and collecting settled debris by venturi action, and further including an improved directional control system for preventing, e.g., excess twisting of a tether conduit such as a power cable.